Can you remember a Christmas scene from a beloved book or favorite movie involving a large, joyful gathering of family and friends? You may remember the winter reunion of aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods. Or perhaps you dream of attending a traditional Christmas ball, as the heroine did in Jane Austen’s Emma. Maybe you want to bring the spirit of the season to your neighbors, like the girls of March did in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Whatever your preference, you too can host a large gathering of friends, family and neighbors when you host a Celebration of Merriment Tea!
Invitations
Make bells and bows the theme of your party invitations. You can cut out bell and bow shapes for the cards, or you can use a classic design and add your own bells and bows to the invitations. Include all the information your guests will need and sprinkle some bubble and bow confetti in the envelope!
Table setting and decor
Ribbons and bells
To create an instant Christmas feeling during your Celebration of Merriment Tea, think of a familiar sound of the season: bells ringing! You can find jingle bells and ribbon at your local craft store (or order them online). Choose a ribbon that matches your family’s Christmas decorations: silver and gold for an elegant look, plaids and raffia for a farmhouse feel, or red and green velvet for a traditional look. Tie a few bells to the end of each piece of ribbon and secure the ribbons around your doorknobs. Every time someone opens a door you hear the sounds of Christmas.
Nice food service
Think of fun and easy ways to serve the food for your tea party: colorful paper plates, cups and plastic utensils, vegetables for dipping and Christmas cookies in paper bags rolled down and tied with ribbon (try crushing the bags and then unfolding them for an old-fashioned, textured look), dips and dressings in holiday-themed serving bowls. The table will look so fun and festive!
Punch Bowl Centerpiece
Your punch bowl can serve as a container for a delicious drink and a cheerful centerpiece. Make colored ice cubes with juice or make large blocks of fruit ice. Freeze slices of fruit and berries along with water or light-colored juice in plastic containers. To easily remove the blocks from the containers, soak them in a container of warm water for about 15 minutes. They slide out easily and add a cheerful touch to your punch bowl.
Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
½ cup of milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
3½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon red food coloring
2 tablespoons ground peppermint
sweets
2 tablespoons of sugar
Directions
Mix the sugar, butter, milk, egg and vanilla together. Add the peppermint. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Divide the dough into two halves and color one half with red food coloring, mixing the food coloring completely. Cover both halves of the dough and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a floured surface, roll the dough into long ropes, then twist a rope of each color of dough together into a spiral to create a candy cane effect. Cut the twisted dough strips to the desired length for your cookies and bend the top of the cookie to form the candy cane handle. Bake on a baking sheet until firm and very lightly browned, 9 to 12 minutes. Make a mixture of the crushed peppermint candy and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. After the cookies are baked, immediately sprinkle them with the peppermint sugar.
Craft stations
Plan some fun craft activities for your tea party. You can choose what type of crafts you offer and how many stations you want to set up. For a craft party, you can designate an art room somewhere in your home. You can prepare pens and paint, paper and ribbon, stamps and glitter for making cards and wrapping paper. A table filled with oranges, cloves, toothpicks, ribbon and scissors serves as a Christmas pomander-making station. Or make terracotta tree decorations with terracotta modeling clay, fabric paint, Christmas cookie cutters, ribbon and paper clips (for the hooks).
The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy for all the people. Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.”
LUKE 2:10-11
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Let’s have a tea partyThrough Emilie Barneshelps young girls and their loved ones recapture the joy of tea time with fifteen themed tea parties and attractive watercolor artworks.
Whether your special guests were dolls, stuffed animals, parents or friends, do you remember having tea parties as a child? Now you can share this special tradition with your tween daughter with this collection of fun and unique tea time party favors.
In addition to fifteen themed teas, you’ll find inspiring ideas for holidays, beach parties, book clubs, birthdays and more. Each tea party includes suggestions for invitations, table settings, decor, menus, recipes, activities and crafts. These parties are easy to make and suitable for every budget.
Learn more about the book and how to buy it here.